Jim Newton

Despite losing the Los Angeles mayoral race two years ago, billionaire businessman Rick Caruso is showing signs that he's still eyeing political office. His ambitions may even extend to California governor.

Self-regulation is a messy business. In politics, it can seem elusive. When elected officials adopt rules to govern the conduct of elected officials, they’re pulled in one direction by constituents who favor restrictions and punishments, and in the other direction by self-preservation, a basic instinct politicians have in abundance. Progress tends to be incremental and uneven […]

The rhetoric around public safety in the Los Angeles district attorney race overstates the scope of the office, crime realities and priorities for many voters. Yet at least one candidate thinks it will determine who wins.

Some local officials may simply ignore the results of UCLA's annual quality-of-life survey of Los Angeles, which reported the lowest score in its nine years. The better response would be to dig deeper into the results because there is policy guidance within the data.

The growth of Los Angeles in recent decades has renewed discussions around how best to represent such a large, diverse city. After city leaders were exposed in 2022 for wanting to carve city council districts to serve narrow interests, the argument for expanding the council has become more viable.

American elections often become exercises in influence as much as contests of ideas or candidates. In that bigger sense, our elections are "rigged" – just not the way that either Katie Porter or Donald Trump wrongly suggest.

Bloomington's controversial embrace of warehouses highlighted the financial appeal but also the cultural tradeoffs for Inland Empire communities confronted by expansion.

As Paris gets ready for the Summer Olympics, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and her delegation toured key sites and previewed the magnitude of preparation the 2028 games will require. She also received an object lesson in the scrutiny L.A. will face.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is touring Paris this week to study how France is preparing for the 2024 Olympics. When California's biggest city is on the same global stage in four years, it'll have a chance to rebut its biggest critics – or be reminded of the scrutiny that comes with hosting.

The Republican Party in California once embraced progressive electoral reforms, and championed taxes, gun control and abortion rights. As two races showed this week, it has a new role as a foil for Democrats. That's not good for California – not even for Democrats.